Keep Your Hair Color Fresher, Longer

Don't let expensive dye-jobs fade fast! We put together the best products for extending the life of every hair color-from rich mocha and spicy copper, to dynamic golden highlights. Keep reading to see how to protect

Wear a hat. Protecting your hair from the elements helps prevent the formation of free radicals, atoms or molecules that contribute to fading when they snatch electrons from pigment molecules. Wear a sun hat when you're outdoors for a long time, or look for leave-in treatments with UV absorbers that filter some of the color-ruining rays -- like benzophenone-3 or -4, polyquaternium-59,  and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane.

Suds up less frequently. The more you wash your hair, the faster your color will fade. Shampooing causes the hair strands to swell, and the color then washes out little by little. If you need to shampoo often, invest in products such as John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Enhancing Shampoo or A Color Conditioner for brunettes that deposit dye onto your hair, essentially re-coloring it a little each time you wash. !

Keep it cool. Steaming hot water definitely has an effect on strands. Wet hair has more stretch than dry hair, and the "stretchiness" of hair increases with the water temperature. This indicates the hair structure is more relaxed, which can allow more pigment to escape. 

Pool rule. Chlorine is a major culprit in fading hair dye. Apply a little deep conditioner to your locks before you dive in to protect and moisturize the hair. Then add a swim cap over the conditioner for an extra layer of protection.

Keep your hair color

Tip 1 – Hair brush

When you are away, it is absolutely essential that your hair brush travels everywhere with you, especially if you have opted for a down doo for the day.  With the change in climate and the sea air, you will naturally find that your hair becomes a little more unmanageable than usual, therefore having your hairbrush on you at all times will ensure you can keep it under control and tangle free for the day.

Tip 2 – Wear a hat

Fortunately, hats are incredibly stylish and there are a great variety out there to choose from, so make sure you pick a hat you love and that you are comfortable wearing with most of your outfits.  Whenever possible, we would recommend wearing a hat to shield your hair extensions from the sun, especially in the middle of the day when the sun is the hottest.  The sun can cause extensions to dry out if exposed for long periods of time which will result in the hair becoming stiff and easily tangled.  Once you are home and out of the sunny climate with some good products you should be able to restore the hair to a softer texture, however don’t run the risk.

Tip 3 – Avoid the sea

For many of us, the idea of dunking our hair in the sea is not the most appealing of things, however if you are wearing hair extensions it is important that you do not do this.  Whilst swimming is of course fine, we would advise all hair extension wearers to tie their hair back and to wear a hat if possible.  If you were to get your extensions wet in the sea, the salt will again cause the extensions to become dry and tangled when wet.  Upon leaving the sea they will be difficult to brush which could cause you to be rougher than usual resulting in a few lost bonds.  If your hair does get in the sea you absolutely must brush your hair as soon as possible and wash asap.  Do not leave your hair wet and full of sea water for long periods of time, and do not let the hair dry before you get a chance to brush it.

Tip 4 – Avoid the swimming pool

Swimming pool water is not as bad for the hair extensions as sea water, but should still be avoided where possible.

If you’re lucky enough to be going away for an extended trip this isn’t a problem. It really depends on how quickly your own hair grows as the extensions are attached to this. However, for tape extensions I think maintenance is usually needed every 6-9 weeks and for micro rings between 7-10 weeks.